Lake House Kitchens on the Huron River Chain of Lakes

What should a Michigan lake house kitchen be designed around?

The chain itself shapes the houses. It links nine lakes, from Big and Little Portage through Base Line, Zukey, Strawberry, Whitewood and Gallagher to Ore and Tamarack, across about eight miles of southern Livingston and northern Washtenaw counties, joined by no-wake canals. Lots along those shores and canals are often narrow, so many kitchens have to fit a long, slim house with the view at one end.

A lake kitchen has different priorities from a kitchen in a subdivision a few miles inland. Before choosing finishes, we rank the needs below with the owners, because they often pull against each other.

Designing the kitchen toward the water

The most valuable wall in a lake home is usually the one facing the water, and it is also where a standard plan wants upper cabinets. We often give that wall to windows and move storage into a tall pantry or a wall of cabinetry on the inland side. A sink under the window or an island facing the lake keeps the cook part of the conversation and the view.

Strong reflected light off the water brings glare and fading. South- and west-facing kitchens benefit from finishes chosen for sun exposure and from window treatments planned with the lighting, not added later. Our lake house kitchen work includes those choices from the first layout.

Kitchens that handle a summer crowd

Lake kitchens get used hard for a few months and gently the rest of the year. Planning for the busy weekend makes the quiet weeks easier too.

• A second prep sink on the island so one person can rinse produce while another cooks.
• A beverage refrigerator or drawers near the deck door to keep guests out of the work zone.
• Counter seating that faces the lake rather than the range.
• Durable counters such as quartz or a dense granite that shrug off sunscreen bottles and wet coolers.
• Deep drawers and open storage for platters, pitchers and outdoor serving pieces.

Wet traffic, mudrooms and floors

If the lake-side door opens straight into the kitchen, the kitchen is the mudroom. Porcelain tile and well-made luxury vinyl handle wet traffic better than most site-finished wood. A bench, hooks and a towel cabinet just inside the door keep life jackets and sandy towels off the counters. Where space allows, a separate laundry and mudroom between the lake entrance and the kitchen solves the problem for good.

How does a septic system change a lake-house kitchen?

Many homes around the chain sit on private septic systems, and the kitchen sink is one of the busiest inputs. The EPA's septic care guidance is blunt: everything poured down a drain or ground in a disposal ends up in the tank, cooking grease and oil should never go down the drain, and limiting or eliminating the garbage disposal significantly cuts the fats, grease and solids that can clog a drainfield. It also says a typical household system should be inspected at least every three years and pumped every three to five.

Those rules turn into design decisions. A busy July weekend with twelve guests puts more water and food waste through one kitchen than a month of off-season use, so we plan for the peak:

• ✓A pull-out with separate bins for trash, recycling and food scraps, sized for a full weekend.
• ✓A small covered spot near the range for a grease container, so pans are wiped rather than rinsed.
• ✓Faucets with aerators, which the EPA lists among simple ways to cut water entering the system.
• ✓A conversation with your septic professional before adding a disposal, a second sink or a lower-level bar.
• ✓An accessible location for the septic tank lid and cleanouts that no new patio or addition will cover.

A lake-level bar sink in a walkout adds one more question. If the new drain sits below the line that flows to the tank, it needs a pump to lift wastewater, which brings an electrical circuit, an access panel and a little maintenance into the plan.

How do you turn a lake cottage kitchen into a year-round kitchen?

Converted cottages are common across Hamburg Township and around the village of Pinckney, and the kitchen is where seasonal construction shows first. Expect to look at insulation in exterior walls, especially behind a sink, along with wiring capacity, ceiling height and framing that may have been added to more than once.

Walkout lots bring an opportunity as well. A lower-level kitchen or bar at lake level gives swimmers and boaters a place to grab a drink without crossing the main floor. In rural Putnam Township and other areas on private wells, we plan filtration equipment and finish choices that hold up to hard water at the same time.